Small is beautiful in Mexico

So you're looking for a great vacation escape to Mexico. Somewhere that looks like Mexico, not some noisy, crowded generic strip of hotel highrises. Somewhere that feels like Mexico, not some playground party scene for grinning gringos in sequined sombreros. Yes, folks, you can find plenty of Cheez Whiz atop your huevos rancheros south of the border these days, but here's an antidote: Mexico Boutique Hotels (MBH), an organization of 45 small, mostly independent properties scattered throughout Mexico.

Seven years ago, John Youden, a Canadian expat who publishes magazines in Puerto Vallarta, was travelling around Mexico with his French-born wife looking to stay in the kind of hotels he enjoyed in Europe: small, high-quality lodgings with character and charm. "I wasn't looking for a Small Luxury Hotel of the World, but I wanted personalized service -- mom 'n' pop owners who cared about their hotel."

After having trouble finding such places, Youden returned home and decided to start an organization dedicated to identifying properties and promoting them. "Usually, these kinds of places don't have the money or savvy for big advertising campaigns," he explains. "They survive word-of-mouth."

Youden, who was born and raised in Prince Rupert, B.C., hired a small staff to, first off, find small, independent hotels offering one-of-a-kind allure and authenticity. He then decided that for Mexico Boutique Hotels to have credibility with the travel industry he needed to establish a qualification system. All of his hotels must meet a certain set of criteria and are inspected regularly. "You can't buy your way in," says Youden.

Starting with a dozen hotels in 2000, MBH steadily grew and now has more than tripled in size. The only organization of its kind in Mexico, it added 13 new members this year and has hotels in practically every state in Mexico. Youden hired another Canadian, Sylvie Laitre of Gatineau, to be the company's director.

Mexico Boutique Hotels have several things in common, starting with a small-is-beautiful philosophy. Most have fewer than 50 rooms, which helps assure intimacy and a high level of service, says Youden. Many flaunt idyllic surroundings -- dreamy Pacific Ocean coves, the turquoise-coloured Caribbean, Mexico's colonial heartland. And most are deluxe -- a handful belong to the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group -- but few have the refinement and polish found at a St. Regis or Fairmont, says Youden.

"We're best exemplified by the small hotelier who makes his presence felt by his special care or feeling," he says. "It might be in the food or the decor or the service. I got a nice note from a traveller about one of our Oaxaca hotels. She had mentioned to the owner that she wanted to buy some special candles to bring back to the U.S. The next day, she found those candles sitting in her room."

Mexico Boutique Hotels vary widely in style, mood and concept. They include former haciendas, urban oases, pristine beach hideaways and one -- Quinta Real in Zacatecas -- is located in a former bullring. (See above for examples.)

The largest member of of the group is the 70-room Villa del Sol, a venerable beachfront property in Zihuatanejo often ranked among Mexico's most lovely hotels. The group's smallest hotel is Casa Cid de Leon, a meticulously decorated, four-room house in Oaxaca's historic centre. Generally, they are single-owner hotels, but a few are drawn from two premium chains: Quinta Real and Starwood.

"What they have in common is they reflect the passion of their owners," says Youden. "These hotels have some kind of distinctive stamp or personality. They reflect the flavour of a region."

When he started Mexico Boutique Hotels, Youden envisioned the association serving simply as a kind of Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for small hotels. Now, its role has expanded to include a website with a reservations system that allows consumers to book hotels directly without paying a fee.

The website also offers a toll-free phone number for free consultations, which is especially helpful for information about lesser-known destinations. Mexico Boutique Hotels' staff also helps put together "circuit tours" for guests -- self-guided itineraries combining hotel stays in different cities. One popular idea is to split a visit between an Old World city -- Oaxaca, Morelia, Merida -- and a nearby beach town.

While Mexico Boutique Hotels are generally expensive, a small number offer rooms for less than $150 per night. Most of them are "pocket-friendly" during Mexico's off-season -- May through early December -- and offer discounted rates.

"We appeal to travellers who want to experience Mexico rather than just come down to get a tan and drink margaritas," says Youden. "Mexico is such a rich, vibrant country but travellers stuck in big hotels sometimes never see it."

For more information, check www.mexicoboutiquehotels.com; 1-800-728-9098.

Nick Gallo is a Seattle writer who has twice won the prestigious Pluma de Plata prize for top travel writing about Mexico.

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